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Unreported Crimes, Public Dissatisfaction of Police, and Observed Police Misconduct in the Volgograd Region, Russia: A Research Note

NCJ Number
248325
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2014 Pages: 305-325
Author(s)
Olga Semukhina
Date Published
2014
Length
0 pages
Annotation
The paper examines the issue of widespread underreporting of crimes in the Volgograd region of Russia.
Abstract
The factors of public satisfaction with police, prior observed police misconduct, type of crime, and victim's demographics are used to explain a victim's decision to report crimes to the police. The research is based on a representative sample of Russian citizens conducted over a 9 year period in the Volgograd region (1998-2007) with a sample size of 1332 cases. The study concludes that prior observed police misconduct, especially the falsification of documents, is the strongest predictor of victims' decisions to report crimes. The research holds critical implications for the ongoing reform of Russian police.